


Home Sweet Home

by frisson



Category: The Book of Mormon - Parker/Stone/Lopez
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-18
Updated: 2017-07-18
Packaged: 2018-12-03 21:30:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11540802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frisson/pseuds/frisson
Summary: Connor McKinley never wanted to move back to his small, Texan hometown. He never wanted to resume working in the same diner he had been for most of his life. And he never, ever wanted to fall head over heels for Kevin Price.





	Home Sweet Home

Connor McKinley stared down at the napkin and silverware in front of him before his deft fingers wrapped them all together at a speed that could only be accomplished with years of practice. Kevin Price worked in silence across from him, his lips pressed into a thin line of concentration across his face and dark eyes trained down at his hands. The diner was comfortably quiet, as it always was a few minutes after opening. There were no customers to serve or orders to take, just absent minded preparations and listening to Kalimba whistle from the kitchen. As much as being back in Fairfield irked Connor, there were some things he missed while out in Los Angeles. The clean air and the opportunity to just sit still for a second to breathe it in.

Connor wasn't particularly great at talking to strangers. Living life surrounded by the same hundred people for practically all his life didn't really give him the opportunity to brush up on the skill. But, he had to start somewhere, didn't he? Especially since this particular stranger would be now be his coworker for an indefinite amount of time. As he tossed another silverware set onto the pile, he cleared his throat. "So, um, where are you from?"

Kevin brought his gaze to Connor's as he replied. "Provo." The response was curt, but there was a quality of measured geniality that calmed Connor's nerves. Even in the first few minutes of knowing him, he already recognized Kevin's easy confidence and self assuredness. He wasn't quite sure whether to be jealous or relieved. "What about you?"

"Born and raised right here in Fairfield," Connor said, hoping that he sounded proud of the fact and not irritated by it. "I worked in this very diner all throughout high school and just came back about... a month ago? I think? And now I'm working here again."

"I guess that explains why you're so good at everything, huh?" Kevin smiled at him. It was a nice smile. It leaned to the right side of his face, creased his right eye. A smile beautifully crooked and disarming in the most alarming kind of way.

_What?_

Connor pursed his lips and looked back down at the fork in his hand. "Sure," he said, a weak laugh bubbling up from his throat. "You've got the hang of a lot of things already."

Kevin's smile grew even wider and he ran a free hand through his hair. "I try," was all he said, his words injected with thinly veiled complacency.

Connor had been showing Kevin around the restaurant, demonstrating how to use the cashier and the shorthand used for taking orders. He was a surprisingly quick learner, but he still would have to continue training him for the rest of the week. Machines and words were easy to handle, but the nuanced interaction for each individual person in Fairfield would take a _bit_ more practice.

There was silence again, louder and more uncomfortable than the one before. Connor avoided eye contact and instead watched the windows behind Kevin. Sunlight streamed in through the thin blinds, growing stronger by the minute and highlighting wandering specks of dust in the air. The light hugged the edges of Kevin's body and gave him something of a sun halo around his head. Connor frowned and coughed into his arm. "So what brings you to Fairfield, anyway?"

Kevin shrugged, an answer that made Connor blink. "I mean, my friend moved here to be closer to his girlfriend, and I moved with him because, well, I guess because I didn't really want to go back home."

Connor nodded, but didn't pry any further. _That makes two of us,_ he thought. Except Kevin was lucky enough to get what he wanted. Even though Connor's acting endeavors in Los Angeles proved to be fruitless, and he had been living in a shabby, mouse infested apartment with a very, very questionable landlord, he would have given anything to go back. But, he was once again stuck in his hometown, stranded between old buildings and old memories he sought to get rid of but probably never would. The only things he got from LA were humiliation and newly self-satisfied parents with smug smiles and _we told you so_ written in their eyes.

Their conversation continued on like an old car, dismally sputtering out and then jolting back into motion. Kevin had five younger siblings _(wow)_ and had been attending the University of Utah before coming to Texas (Connor could tell Kevin was dodging around the reason _why_ he left, but decided not to push it). Kevin's face lit up with intrigue when Connor mentioned his year in LA.

"Yeah, my parents made a deal that they would let me go one year and if I got any kind of work I could stay," Connor explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "You can probably guess how _that_ went." His words were punctuated by a feeble pity laugh.

Silence, once again. Kevin tossed another silverware set on the pile. "So you said you want to be an actor right? Like, movie? Or TV?"

"Honestly, I would have taken whatever I could get, but I went there more for like, theatre, y'know?" Connor said. "Musicals and plays and stuff."

Kevin's brows raised. "So you can, like, sing and dance and all that?"

"Yeah, I guess I can," Connor laughed. _Obviously not well enough to get cast,_ he thought mournfully.

"Can you sing something for me right now?"

"Oh! Um," Connor grabbed a knife from the tray. "Raincheck on that?" He gave a polite smile and hoped he wouldn't insist.

"Sure," Kevin said, warmly if only with a little disappointment.

Kevin went on to inform him that he couldn't dance to save his life, and that Connor should teach him sometime. Another raincheck.

As their conversation carried on, Connor found himself fixating on the little details of his new coworker. The one dimple on his right cheek, his impeccably white and straight teeth, the slight bags that hung beneath his dark, swampy eyes. By the end of their time wrapping silverware, Connor concluded that Kevin was pleasant, and that, as much as Connor didn't like change, he didn't mind Kevin at all. In fact, for once, Connor thought he might look forward to walking into work every day if Kevin was there to join him. Which, he had to admit, was concerning.

He didn't like letting his guard down, and yet every second of their conversation seemed to be pecking at the bricks of his walls. Kevin Price was pleasant, yes, but unsettlingly charming.

Very concerning.

* * *

 

Customers began to file in, slowly but surely. They stood in the kitchen entrance, waiting for the bell on front door to ring or for a patron to call them over. As they did, Kevin quizzed himself on everyone's names. Connor would supply them as needed, along with a slew of both useful and trivial facts. Each time he did, Kevin beheld him with a little amazement in his eyes, something that made Connor want to laugh. If Kevin had lived in the same town with the same few hundred people for practically all of his 19 years on the planet, maybe the feat wouldn't seem so awe-inspiring.

"So who's that again?"

Connor tried to ignore how warm Kevin's breath felt on his neck. "That's Mafala Hatimbi. He runs the gas station down yonder. Really nice, kinda... interesting dude though."

"Hatimbi?" Kevin repeated under his breath. "Does he have a d-"

The sound of the bell interrupted him before he could finish his question.

"Who's that?" Kevin asked, peaking at the short blonde boy from over Connor's shoulder.

"That," Connor's voice filled with immediate warmth, "is Chris Thomas. My lifelong best friend." He walked over to the table where Chris had already seated himself. It was a routine Connor was quite used to; Every summer, Chris would come in Monday mornings and sit at the same table and order the same breakfast and tease Connor about the same things. Connor did dislike being back in Fairfield, but he had to admit there was something addicting about the familiarity of it all.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Connor McKinley." Chris sat back in his chair and jokingly leered up at him. "Fancy meeting you here."

Connor smacked him on the head with his notepad with a satisfied grin. "Just tell me what you want, idiot."

"Can I ge-"

"Glass of orange juice?"

"Yeah, and-"

"The french toast platter with a side of bacon?"

"Gosh, Connor, how'd you know?" Chris said dryly. His eyes wandered to Kevin and became clouded with confusion. "Who's this?"

"Oh, this, is Kevin," Connor said, stepping aside and letting Kevin in front of him. "He's shadowing me right now, but he's gonna be working here. Kevin, this is Chris."

"Nice to meet you!" Kevin said with a plastic cheerfulness in his voice, as he had with every single person he had been introduced to that morning. Connor wondered why Kevin had suddenly become more of a polite robot than a person once the diner had actually started filling up. Maybe Connor was just better at sensing Kevin's spuriosity than he was earlier that day.

"Nice to meet you, too," Chris said. "You can call me Poptarts."

Kevin didn't say anything for a few seconds, but recovered enough to say, "Oh. Alright."

Connor laughed and clapped Kevin on the shoulder. "I'll get that right in for ya, Chris."

As they walked, Connor scribbled Chris' order on his notepad for Kalimba. When he looked up, Kevin had his brows furrowed.

"Poptarts?" he asked once out of earshot, his tone incredulous.

"Yeah, Poptarts," Connor confirmed with chuckle.

"Why?"

"Long story short, he's probably the only reason the poptarts section of the convenience store takes up so much space. My mom tells me it wasn't nearly as large until Chris started demanding them. And, y'know, since his dad owns the store, he made it happen."

Kevin laughed. "Wow."

"Wow, indeed," Connor echoed. He ripped out the order from his pad and pinned it up for Kalimba. "Alright, I'm going to get the OJ and deliver some of the food, can you refill people's drinks?"

"I'm on it," Kevin grinned with almost a bit too much excitement.

Connor hummed to himself as he poured out the juice and set it carefully on a tray, where it accompanied Mafala's tall stack of pancakes. He made his rounds while Kevin made his until they had both returned to their position at the kitchen entrance. Just as they were beginning to relax and slip back into conversation, the bell at the door rang.

Connor's face lit up. "Oh, this is-"

"Nabulungi!" Kevin exclaimed from beside him. Connor could only look on with mild bemusement as Kevin half jogged to the door.

"Kevin!" Nabulungi called back with equal enthusiasm, quickly closing the distance between them to wrap him in a hug. "How's your first day going?"

"Pretty good, I think!"

Connor watched as Kevin and Naba's conversation continued, still puzzled. _How did they even know each other?_ He, of course, hadn't seen Naba since she'd gone off to college. He supposed a lot could have happened in those two years. _Could they have met at college?_ No. Connor couldn't remember exactly where Naba had gone, but he knew for a fact that it wasn't University of Utah. How, then? Were they friends? Something _more?_ That thought, for whatever reason, worked Connor up far more than it should have. That didn't make sense either, because Connor had listened to Naba blabber on about her future boyfriend ever since they were kids, had been _excited_ for her ever since they were kids. All he could do was watch them and try to explore the possibilities. When he looked to Kevin, he was surprised to see his posture wasn't ramrod as usual, his smile easier on his face. _Obviously famili-_

"Right, Connor?"

Connor flinched and looked to see Naba staring at him, her face shaped with amused confusion.

He spluttered. "What?"

"I was just telling Kevin that he's in good hands," she said, smiling at him. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Don't tell anyone, but you're one of the best waiters around."

"Thanks, Naba," Connor said, his words at an equal volume. He hoped the warm expression plastered to his face didn't betray that he was less than thrilled that one of his only strengths was, of all things, being a waiter.

"Oh, come here you," she laughed, pulling him into a hug.

"I haven't even seen you in two years! How's life been?"

"Oh, you know, the same old, same old," Connor said before exiting her embrace. "You?"

"Absolutely _wonderful_! I'm happy that I'm home, though." She beamed down at him. "We'll need to catch up soon, but I think for right now, you have more customers to deal with. Like me!"

Connor laughed and nodded. "Seat yourself, Naba." He watched as she picked her customary table next to the front windows, not surprised in the slightest.

Connor and Kevin continued working in tandem for a few more minutes, but they soon came to a rest again once glasses were full and orders were taken.

"So how do you know Naba?" They both said in unison as they made their way towards the kitchen.

Kevin laughed. It was a pleasant laugh, warm and full. Not that that mattered.

"I've known her my whole life," Connor said. "She was my next door neighbor."

"You sure have known a lot of people your whole life," Kevin commented, leaning up against the wall.

"Yeah, I guess." Connor played with the hem of his apron. "You're probably one of the few people I _haven't_ known my whole life."

"What an honor," Kevin said jokingly, looking off into the distance.

"What about you?" Connor asked. "I mean, how do you know her?"

"Oh, you know my friend's girlfriend we moved here for? Yeah, that's her," Kevin said.

Connor nearly choked. "Naba has a _boyfriend_ ?" He asked loudly before practically running over to her table. "I can't believe it! _You!_ You have a boyfriend!" He said, excitement leaking into his voice. "Well, I mean, I _can_ believe it because you're amazing and everything but, Naba! You have a boyfriend!" His words ran together into an almost unintelligible mess. "We don't see each other for two years and you don't even tell me you have a boyfriend! _You have a boyfriend._ "

Naba laughed in her chair. "I do indeed have a boyfriend."

"That's wonderful!" Connor said. " _Heck_ , we really do need to catch up soon, and _you_ ," he emphasized the word with a finger jab, "have to tell me all about him."

Naba nodded, smile wide across her face. "He's wonderful, really. I'll introduce you two sometime."

"You _better_ ," Connor said in the most threatening way he could muster.

Morning sluggishly bled into afternoon. The day continued incident free, Kevin shadowing Connor as he made his rounds, the crowd of people ebbing and flowing as time went on. Kevin even got to take a few orders by the end of their shift and was slowly becoming more comfortable with the town ensemble.

"Who knew this would be so tiring," Kevin said as they both walked out the door. "My legs feel sore."

Connor laughed. "Try being the _only_ one on staff," he said, running a hand through his hair. "It's nice to have help."

Kevin grinned at him, that nice, crooked grin of his, his eyes alight with pride. "It's nice to have a great coworker."

Connor shrugged off the compliment but still smiled nonetheless. "See you tomorrow, Kevin," he said, before walking off to his car.

In the side view mirror he could make out what Connor could only describe as... Kevin... scolding himself? He spun around, addled, but by then, Kevin had already turned away. Connor tried not to think about it. Not that there was much to think about, anyway. Kevin wasn't anything to contemplate over. 

Not anything at all.

* * *

 

Oh, _who was he kidding?_

Connor rolled over in his bed, frowning. There was a small part of him that knew exactly what was going on, despite all the lies and explanations he tried to use to cover it up. He wanted to cut that part out of him, wanted to replace it with something that wouldn't get him kicked out, or hated, or hurt, or _worse_. His fists tightened around the edge of his blanket.

He could only pray that it was just first day fluster, that tomorrow his heart wouldn't beat a little faster whenever Kevin smiled, that the feelings would leave him as quickly as they had came. Because Kevin Price was magnetic in a way that made Connor want to run away as quickly as possible.

And, Connor thought with a wince, he was incredibly _hot_ .

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading !! This is my first fic so... bear with me. (Any and all kudos & comments appreciated!! <3)


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